A Thousand Years
by atlasmay
Summary: My take on Draco-the-Veela. Songfic; brief crack pairing. Enjoy!(:


_Heart beats fast_  
 _Colors and promises_

Draco entered the Head's common room, gingerly leaning his broom against the wall. He'd called an impromptu quidditch practice to help clear his head.

A letter. He hadn't heard from his beloved parents all year. But this morning, insignificant in every way, a letter had been dropped into his pumpkin juice at breakfast.

He'd fished out the soggy letter, wondering who had written to him. Upon seeing the Malfoy crest emblazoned on the seal, he froze.

Was it someone's birthday? Did his goldfish die? Draco quickly shook his head. His parents' birthdays had already passed, and he didn't have a goldfish.

He flipped the letter over, noticing the slightly smeared "To be Opened in Privacy" scrawled hastily in his mothers normally perfect and elegant handwriting.

Draco casually slipped the letter into his pocket. He wouldn't receive any privacy in his own dorm; Granger probably had her moronic friends over. And he just knew that if he walked into the Head Dorm coveting a letter that was private and unidentified, Saint Potter would accuse him of conversing with Death Eaters, and report him to Dumbledore. Then, thanks to the ever-annoying She-Weasel, the whole school would know what was written in his letter.

Draco briefly contemplated the Slytherin Common Room. He could glare at everyone until they left. He looked up at his fellow snakes and decided that while intimidation may work with the younger years, his friends were used to his glares and were damn nosy.

So where to go? The library, perhaps. No, Madam Pince would be hovering over him like a vulture. The Astronomy Tower? Nope. Out of bounds to students. He very briefly considered using one of the many nooks in the castle, or an unused classroom, but he quickly dismissed both those ideas. Someone could easily stumble upon him.

Draco sighed heavily and finally decided to go to the one place he was sure would be free of pesky students. Well, pesky living students.

He surged into Moaning Myrtles bathroom and was pleasantly surprised to find it free of wailing spirits. For now.

Draco quickly removed the letter from his pocket and ripped it open.

 _Draco_ ,  
It began, again in Narcissa's rushed handwriting.

 _You've inherited your father's veela genetics. We hope you are successful in finding a mate before your birthday. Happy hunting._

Draco peeked an eyebrow. That was it? His parents had kept a dangerous secret from him his whole life and when they finally share it, they write three sentences?!

Draco, of course, knew that male veelas were uncommon, and required a mate. Should a veela fail to locate his mate before his seventeenth birthday, he would die a painful death. Draco sighed heavily. His birthday was next month. Yup. He was a goner.

 _How to be brave_  
 _How can I love_  
 _When I'm afraid to fall_

So Draco had called a quidditch practice. Chasing after a tiny and frustratingly fast object on a broom while dodging bludgers that his inept Beaters failed to hit always improved his mood. So when Draco returned to his dorm, he was marginally calmer.

How was he supposed to find a mate in a month? Did his veela genes determine this? Or did Draco pick? What if his mate didn't accept his affections? Draco collapsed heavily into his armchair. He was afraid to fall in love. He was afraid of being rejected. And now his life depended on it.

 _But watching you stand alone,_  
 _All of my doubt suddenly_  
 _Goes away somehow_

Draco stood wearily from his chair. He was almost to his dorm when he stopped abruptly. Sitting idly on the table was the most exquisite thing he'd ever seen. Cautiously, he drew closer. The beauty didn't seem to notice his approach so Draco took a few minutes to observe.

Suddenly, Draco's doubt disappeared. He didn't need to worry. His mate was right here.

 _One step closer_

Draco leaned forward.

 _I have died every day_  
 _Waiting for you_  
 _Darling, don't be afraid_  
 _I have loved you_  
 _For a thousand years_  
 _I'll love you for a thousand more_

And he picked up..  
"My mate, oh incomprehensible beauty! Such luxurious silkiness adorns your unblemished skin. You look ravishing in green, delicious.. Good enough to eat…"

And Draco took a bite out of his newfound beauty.

"Oh..." Draco looked at the apple in his hands. "This is going to be harder than I thought." He shook his head. "Granger! Turn off that song! No one cares about what happened a thousand years ago!"

When the song continued to play, Draco marched up to Hermione's room and knocked furiously on the door.

It swung open.

 _Time stands still_  
 _Beauty in all she is_

Draco froze. Standing at the door was a real thing of beauty. A living breathing human. A scowl was etched onto her face, her eyes were narrowed and she was wearing muggle clothes, simple jeans and a green hoodie, but Draco thought that she'd never looked more breathtaking than in that moment.

 _I will be brave_  
 _I will not let anything take away_  
 _What's standing in front of me_  
 _Every breath_  
 _Every hour has come to this_

"So this is my life now." Draco whispered, worried about how well he was taking this. "How do I approach my mudblood nemesis? My whole life has been leading up to this moment. Oh Merlin, I'm going to die next month! I must be brave, I can't lose her, or I'll―"

"Malfoy! I said, what do you want? And quit muttering like that. It's weird."

Draco sighed and gathered his courage. "I am a man and you are a woman.. And well veelas have mates and my father is married and I got a letter in my juice today and then I had quidditch practice because of the disturbing content of the letter and I tried to make out with an apple and I came up here to tell you to turn of that music but―"

Hermione turned around in the doorway and started to close the door.

"Gra―Hermione wait." Draco said, grabbing her arm. Hermione turned around and sighed exasperatedly.

 _One step closer_

"You look ravishing in green."


End file.
